Rotating musical stand



April 6, 1954 D. R. L. FRANKLIN ROTATING MUSICAL STAND Filed Sept. 12, 1950 .94 INVENTOR Dona EL. fin/2314510 BY $444M ATTO R N EYS 7 7 6 6 m 2 gm #7 w w W W WWW Q w 0& h a W 7 y 2% Q0 AKU Patented Apr. 6, 1 954 "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Donald ILL. Franklin, New York, N. Y.

Application September 12, 1950, Serial No. 184,375

' 1 Claim. 1

The invention relates to a stand for supporting an upright object and more particularly to a rotatable mount for Christmas trees.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a stand for supporting an upright object such as a Christmas tree, in such manner that the latter may be continuously rotated, with the electric lights normally used to decorate such tree, being energized by an external source of electric power, which stand produces a musical efiect as the tree carried thereon is rotated, and is neat, compact and sturdy with but few relatively inexpensive conventional parts that may readily be assembled and are not likely to become deranged even after continuous use and which is devoid of unsightly wiring that could become entangled as the tree is rotated.

A feature of the invention is to provide a fixed base having an upright substantially cylindrical holderrotatably mounted thereon, said holder having a floor with a depending skirt on the periphery thereof which mounts an electric outlet, the latter being protected by and accessible through said skirt. Electric contact means are provided on the top wall of said base concealed by said skirt and means are also provided to afiord a sliding electrical connection between said contact means and said outlet. An electric motor positioned in said base serves both to rotate the holder and to actuate music producing mechanism also positioned in said base, and said motor and said outlet are desirably controlled by a pair of switches positioned on said base.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown one or more of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the stand,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on a larger scale taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 33 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 taken along line 44 of Fig. 2 and,

Fig. 5 is a circuit diagram of the stand.

Referring now to the drawings, the stand desirably comprises abase l0, preferably circular as shown and desirably pressed in a single piece from relatively heavy sheet metal stock.

As shown in Fig. 2, the base It) desirably has a substantially vertical bottom wall II with an annular horizontal ledge l2 extending inwardly from the upper edge l3 thereof. The inner edge H of ledge l2 desirably has a frusto-conical portion |5 extending upwardly therefrom, said portion l5 desirably having ahorizontal top wall I6 2 with an axial opening therethrough. Althoug the bottom of the base l0 could be left open, it desirably has a circular cover plate l8 thereon the latter preferably having spaced upstanding lugs |9 along the periphery thereof, affixed to the lower rim of bottom wall H by bolts 20.

Positioned in said base H and desirably extending diametrically thereacross, is a supporting bar 22, preferably of rigid metal stock, aflixed at each end as by bolts 23 to the ledge l2. As shown in Fig. 2, a vertical bearing sleeve 25 is positioned between top wall l6 and bar 22 with the bore 26 of said sleeve axially aligned with opening I! in top wall l6 and with an openin 21 in said supporting bar 22.

Although the sleeve 25 could be mounted in any suitable manner, it desirably has reduced end portions 28, 29 forming external annular shoulders 32, 33 respectively, which, when the end portions 28, 29 are positioned in openings l1 and 21, will abut against the rims thereof, the bar 22 thereby securely yet removably retaining the sleeve in place.

Extending axially through the bore 26 of said sleeve 25 is a vertical drive shaft 35 which is desirably journalled in ball bearings 36 and 31 affixed in the respective ends of sleeve 25. Mounted on the upper end 40 of shaft 35, which extends through bearing 36 above top wall I6, is a holder 4|, preferably cylindrical as shown and desirably having a plurality of radially extending thumb screws 42 threaded through suitable openings 43 near the upper edge 44 thereof.

As shown in Fig. 2, holder 4| desirably has a floor 45, preferably formed integral therewith, with an axial opening 46 therein which is preferably threaded to receive the correspondingly threaded end 49 of shaft 35, a nut 41 on said end 40 securely retaining the holder on said shaft. The holder 4| desirably has a skirt 5| preferably formed integral therewith and depending from the periphery 52 of floor 45, the lower edge 53 of said skirt being slightly spaced from top wall It.

The skirt 5| desirably has an electrical outlet socket 54 mounted therein and accessible therethrough to receive the prongs of a conventional electric plug (not shown). In order to provide an electrical connection to said outlet 54, the top wall l6 desirably has an insulating plate 55 thereon, on which is mounted a pair of spaced concentric contact rings 56 and 51, which are insulated from each other and from base said rings being coaxial with shaft 35.

U The outlet 54 desirably has a pair of temiinals 58 and 59 to which are rigidly secured a pair of resilient contact arms 62 and 63, the free ends of which slidably engage contact rings 56 and 51 respectively. Thus as the holder 41 is rotated by shaft 35. in the manner hereinafter to be described, an electrical contact will be maintained between said rings 56, 51 and outlet 54.

In order to rotate shaft 35 and holder 4| thereon, a motor 65 is desirably provided, mounted in the base It by means of a bracket 66 afiixed to bar 22 as by bolt 61 so as to depend therefrom, said bracket having a horizontal arm 68 to which the motor is aiiixed. The motor 65 is desirably positioned beneath sleeve 25 and may have a reduction gear transmission, illustratively represented by the pinion 69 and meshed gear 12, which are aiiixed to the motor drive shaft 11 and to the lower end 13 of vertical shaft 35 respectively. The ratio of pinion 69 to gear 12 is so selected that the shaft 35 and holder 41 thereon may rotate at a relatively lowspeed in. the order of one half revolution per minute.

Although any suitable motor may be used, it is preferred to use the type sold by the Bristol Manufacturing Company of Old Saybrook, Connecticut, which is designated as the Circle B motor and is so constructed that if the drive shaft thereof should be restrained from rotation while the motor is energized it will not overheat excessively.

The use of such a motor is especially advantageous where a Christmas tree is mounted in the holder. This is due to the fact that inflammable decorations are generally used on the tree which also is highly inflammable and if small children should grasp the tree and restrain its rotation, and the motor should overheat and cause a fire, severe damage or loss of life might occur.

Means are desirably provided, preferably driven by motor 65, to play a musical tune as the holder 4| is rotated. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, such means may comprise a conventional music box mechanism which includes a rotatable cylinder 16 having minute pegs 11 projecting from the surface thereof which engage steel teeth 18, to cause them to vibrate to produce the musical effect as the cylinder 16 is rotated. The cylinder 16 is desirably mounted in vertical position on a, supporting frame 8| which also supports the teeth 16 and the frame is suspended by means of a bracket 83 afiixed to bar 22 by bolt 94. Although the bracket 83 could be of any suitable material, it desirably is a strip of relatively thin rigid metal such as steel which, though of sufficient rigidity to support the cylinder, will yet have suiiicient flexibility to vibrate so that the musical efi'ect produced by the vibrating teeth 18 will be transmitted through the supporting bar 22 to the metal base II which thereby acts as a sounding board to amplify the volume of the musical notes.

In order to rotate the cylinder 16 to produce the musical effect, a pinion 65 may be affixed to the shaft 86 of cylinder 16, which is engaged by a gear 81 mounted on the motor drive shaft 11. Desirably the gear 81 is of the interrupted type having gear teeth only along a portion of the periphery thereof as shown in Fig. 4, so that the cylinder 16 will be rotated to produce the desired musical effect only during a portion of a cycle of rotation of holder 4|.

In order electrically to connect the motor 65 and the outlet 54 to a source of power, the circuit shown in Fig. is desirably provided. In thiscirouit, one of the power mains, i. e., min

4 9|, is connected by lead 93 to one side of the input of motor 65, the other side or said input being connected by lead I02 to switch 99 and thence by lead 96 to main 94. Main 9! is also connected by lead 92 to one of the contact rings, illustratively ring 56, and ring 51 is connected by lead IIH to switch 91 and thence by lead 95 to main 94.

Although the stand may be used to rotate any suitable object, it is especially designed to carry a Christmas tree which may be decorated in conventional manner and generally has a plurality of conventional electric lights thereon. It is a simple matter to position the lower end of the trunk of the tree in the cylindrical holder 4|,

which is desirably watertight so that the trunk of the tree may be retained in a supply of water, thereby enhancing the attractiveness of the tree by keeping it fresh for a longperiod of time and also reducing the fire hazard by preventing the tree from drying. The tree is firmly retained in the holder by tightening the thumb screws 42 and the connector plug (not shown) of the electric lights on the tree may then be inserted into the outlet socket 54 and the mains 9| and 94 connected to 'a source of power.

By merely closing switch 91, a circuit can be completed to the electric lights on the tree, from main 94, lead 95, switch 91, lead I01, contact ring 51, contact arm 63 to terminal 59 of outlet 54 and from terminal 59, contact arm 62, contact ring 56, lead 92 to main 9!. To rotate the holder 51 and the tree carried thereby, it is merely necessary to close switch 96. A circuit will be completed from main '94, lead 96, through switch 98, lead I02, motor 65 and lead 93 to main 9|.

As shaft 11 of motor 65 rotates, it will rotate shaft 35 and holder 41 thereon through the gear transmissions 69 and 12. In addition interrupted gear 81 will rotate pinion 85 to turn cylinder 16 thereby causing musical notes as the pegs 11 vibrate the teeth 18.

With the construction thus described, a neat, sturdy, compact and relatively inexpensive tree holder is provided which will dependably retain a tree in upright position, while at the same time rotating the latter and affording a continuous electric connection from a source of electrical current to the electric lamps, without the use of unsightly wiring which might Jam the rotating mechanism of the stand. In addition theattrac tiveness of the unit is enhanced by the musical mechanism which may be designed to play Christmas carols or other appropriate music.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claim, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A stand comprising a hollow base having .a horizontal top wall with an opening therein, a horizontal supporting bar in said base positioned beneath the top wall and spaced therefrom, said bar having an opening therein axially aligned with the opening in said top wall, a vertical sleeve axially aligned with said opening and afiixed between said top wall and said bar, said sleeve having bearings therein, a vertical shaft in said sleeve journalled in said bearings and extending beyond the ends of said sleeve, a holder affixed to the upper end of said shaft and rotatable therewith, a motor operatively connected to the lower end of said shaft to rotate the latter, a rotatable cylinder in said base operatively connected to said motor to be rotated thereby, said cylinder having a plurality of projecting pegs on the surface thereof, a plurality of teeth associated With said cylinder and in the path of movement of said pegs, whereby upon engagement and release of said teeth by said pegs, the teeth will vibrate to produce musical notes, a bracket of flexible material affixed at one end to said bar and supporting said cylinder and said teeth, whereby upon vibration of said teeth said bracket will be vibrated to transmit the sound through said bar to said base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

